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DallasMcGregor
ERWCPeriod3
Mr.Conrad
16September2015

AllAnimalsNeedaBillofRights

AccordingtotheHumaneSocietyInternationalsarticle,AboutAnimalTesting,
Over
115millionanimalsmice,rats,dogs,cats,rabbits,monkeys,birds,amongothersarekilledin
laboratoryexperimentsworldwideforchemical,drug,food,andcosmeticstestingeveryyear.
Theheinousnumberofanimalsdyingeveryyearafteranunspeakablygruesomelifeofbeing
pokedandproddedshouldbereasonenoughtoinitiatetheestablishmentofananimalbillof
rights.Howmanyanimalsmustsufferanddiebeforethepublicrealizesthatanimalsarethriving
beingswhodeservetolivealifefreeoftortureandtribulation?Afterall,theyareliving
breathingcreatureswhofeelpain,learn,andexperienceemotions.Nottomention,animalsare
morelikeusthanweeverthoughtpossible.Therefore,inordertoputanendtotheabhorrent
tortureanimalsareforcedtoendure,abillofrightsmustbedevelopedtosufficientlyprotectall
animalsfromanyformofharmormistreatment.
Indiscussionsofanimalrights,onecontroversialissueisthetruesufficiencyoftherights
bestoweduponanimals.Ononehand,thepublicarguesthattherearespecificorganizations
fabricatedtodopreciselythat.Ontheotherhand,animalrightsactivistsandotheranimal
sympathizersclaimsuchagenciesareincompetentanddonotenforcethelawsputintoplace.In
fact,EventhoseanimalswhoarecoveredbytheAWA[AnimalWelfareAct]lacktrue
protectionbecauseoftheinadequateresourcesforenforcementbytheActbytheUSDepartment

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ofAgriculturesAnimal&PlantHealthInspectionService(USCA/APHIS),whichistheagency
chargedwithenforcingtheAct,(ALDF).Theinadequateprotectionofanimalsisaperfect
exampleofwhyananimalbillofrightsisessential.Underthenewbillofrightsanewagency
wouldbedesignedspecificallyfortheprotectionofanimals.Admittedly,establishinganew
grouptoguardtherightsofanimalswouldbecostlybutwithcombinedeffortsfrom
organizationssuchasASPCAaswelldonationsfrompassionateanimalloversitisnotan
impossiblegoal.Thelivesofalltheanimalssufferingfromstarvationandisolationareworththe
expenses.Asthoughinsufficientprotectionagencieswerenotenough,thelawsorlackthereof,
barelypunishtheperpetratorsofthesedespicablecrimes.TheALDFcomplains:[I]nLouisiana
aggravatedcrueltyleadingtothedeathofananimalcanleadtoafineof$25,000and/or
imprisonmentforupto10years,whilesimilarconductinMississippiwouldmerelyleadto,at
most,a$1,000fineand/orimprisonmentforaperiodnotexceeding6months,provingthe
incompetenceofstatelawinregardstopunishmentforthosewhoneglectanimals.
Whenitcomestothetopicofwhichanimalsshouldreceiverights,mostpeople,
includingmyself,readilyagreethatdomesticanimalsshouldhavethem.Wherethisagreement
usuallyends,however,isonthequestionofwhetherornotnondomesticanimalsshouldbe
protectedfromsuchmaltreatment.Whilesomeareconvincedthattheyshould,othersbelieve
thattheyshouldnotbecausetheyarenotasuperiorspecies.TheALDFexplainstheimpactof
excludinganimalsfromprotectionfromsufferingandabuse:Together,thesethreespecies,
[birds,rats,andmice]excludedfromtheActsprotectionsareestimatedtocompriseover90
percentofallanimalsusedinresearch.Suchanabundantamountofanimalsnotprotectedfrom

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exploitationandcrueltyisyetanotherfactorthatmakesformingabillofrightstoprotectall
animalsnecessary.
Nevertheless,opposersofsuchabillwouldarguethatspeciessuchasbirds,rats,and
micearesonumerousandinferiorthattheydonotdeserveprotectionbuttheymostcertainly
should.Especiallysince,justbecauseweareunawareoftheirpotential,itdoesnotmeannone
exists.Forinstance,VictoriaBraithwaitesHookedonaMythdebunkstheideathatfishare
dullcreaturessuitedonlyforconsumption.Considerthis:[Fish]canlearngeometrical
relationshipsandlandmarksandthenusethesetogenerateamentalmaptoplanescaperoutesif
apredatorshowsup,so,iffish,whichweusuallyconsider,slow,dimwittedcreatures,have
suchbrilliantskills,imaginewhatbirds,rats,andmicecando!(Braithwaite).But,evenifmice,
ratsandbirds,areasuselessaspreviouslythought,theyarestillfunctioningbeingswhodeserve
alifefreeofpainandagony.Moreover,animalsareactuallyquitelikehumansinthesensethat
theyfeelemotions,forinstance,Elephantswilloftenstandnexttotheirdeadkinfordays,
occasionallytouchingtheirbodieswiththeirtrunks,(Rifkin).Inotherwords,thedividingline
betweenanimalsandhumans,theabilitytoexperienceempathy,ultimatelydoesnotexist.
Therefore,animalsshouldreceiveabillofrights.
Additionally,thebillofrightswouldultimatelyserveasthefinalstepintheprotectionof
animals.Toelaborate,undertheGreatApeProtectionAct,Itcallsforscientiststocease
invasiveresearchongreatapes,andwhilethatisniceandall,itstopsshortofextendingrights
totheanimalsthemselves,whichispreciselywhereabillofrightswouldservemaximum
utility(Yong).Equallyimportant,undersuchabillanimalswouldbeabletoberepresentedin
court.Granted,thismeasureseemsalittleextreme,but,itwillendtheoutrageousnotionthat

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animalsarepropertybecausesuchastatus,limitsthelegalprotectionsavailabletoanimals
andcontinuestomakepossibletheirexploitation,(ALDF).Obviously,[Animals]feelpain,
sufferandexperiencestress,affection,excitement,andevenloveandthesefindingsare
changinghowweviewanimals,inconclusion,basedonournewdiscoveriesregardinganimals,
wemustcreateabillofrightstoprotectourfurryfriends(Rifkin).
Allinall,animalsarebrilliant,living,breathingcreatureswhoexperienceemotionsand
pain,andtheydeserveabillofrightstoprotectthemfromfurthertormentanddespair.Inspite
oftheexpensesandotherissuesthisbillofrightsmaycreate,itwillfinallyputanendtoanimal
sufferingandwillhelpkeepcriminalsthathurtanimalsoffthestreets.Especiallyrelevant,itwill
extendahelpinghandtothosewithwhomwesharethisearthandimprovetheenvironment
dramatically.Andevenwithregulationsonanimalresearchbroughtonbythebill,wewillstill
beabletocontinuediscoveringmagnificentrevelationsaboutanimals.Plus,theadvantages
heavilyoutweighthedisadvantagesofsuchabill.Butmostimportantofall,itwill,influence
propercareofanimalsnationwide.

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WorkCited

"11FactsAboutAnimalCruelty."Dosomething.org,18Feb.2015.Web.
"TheAnimalLegalDefenseFund'sProposedAnimalBillofRights."2002.Print.
Rifkin,Jeremy."AChangeofHeartaboutAnimals."
LosAngelesTimes
1Sept.2003.Print.
Braithwaite,Victoria."HookedonaMyth."
LosAngelesTimes
8Oct.2006.Print.
Yong,Ed."OfPrimatesandPersonhood:WillAccordingRightsand"Dignity"toNonhuman
OrganismsHaltResearch?"12Dec.2008.Web.

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